The One Left Behind
by sing-it-out-loud
Summary: 15 years ago Tristan made a promise to a little girl. Now he returns with only half of the promise. But it no longer matters because the once sweet little girl is only a shell of what was left behind. Can Tristan fix her?
1. Goodbyes and Promises

The One Left Behind: Goodbyes & Promises

A King Arthur fan fiction

By: sing-it-out-loud

Disclaimer: I do not own King Arthur. I only own the family of the Knights and the plot.

A/N: I know that I haven't uploaded any of my other stories lately but I don't know how to! If you can tell me then please do. I'm desperate. Please send reviews!

15 years ago –

A little girl of about six came running towards her older brother with tears glistening in her eyes.

"Ayden! Ayden!" she cried out.

A boy of about ten years of age with messy blonde hair on a grey horse looks back at her. He too had tears in his eyes. Ayden was sad that he had to leave but he and his best friend, Tristan, were chosen to travel to Britain to serve and fight under Rome. Ayden, who didn't know what to say to her looked to Tristan to help. Tristan is the only one that can get his little sister, Zylla, to calm down. He found Tristan comforting his wolf cub, Adina.

Tristan knew what Ayden wanted him to do and was about to refuse. Zylla needed to learn to live without them. She has been way too dependent on them to stay by her side. But the sight of Zylla, his best friends' sister whom he has come to care for, trying to hide her tears is heart wrenching. He realizes that she is trying to be brave.

He walks over to the girl with Adina trailing behind him. Tristan crouches down and hands her the small wolf cub. She looks at Tristan and the small mass of dark black fur in awe. Everyone else in their tribe is too. Tristan never lets anyone- not even his own parents- near her.

"Zylla, I need you to do something for me," he pauses, "I need you to take care of Adina whilst Ayden and I are away."

Zylla looks at her brother to see that this is not a joke. She realizes that it is not because her brother is smiling in awe at the sight of his sister and best friend.

She then looks down at the cub who is staring at her intently. Adina yelps and licks the tiny six years old. Zylla smiles and looks to Tristan to thank him. But Tristan is already gone.

He is riding out of the village with Ayden following closely behind. Zylla puts the black fur ball and runs after them. But her short, stubby legs can only carry her so far. She stops when she realizes when her efforts are fruitless.

"I PROMISE TO LOOK AFTER HER! JUST BRING YOURSELF AND MY BROTHER BACK!" she yells after Tristan and Ayden. But mostly Tristan.

Both boys smile at the girl. They know that she will be alright.

The entire village shouts "RUS!" to them.

That was the last time Zylla ever saw her brother.


	2. No one Left

The One Left Behind: No one left

A King Arthur Fanfiction

By: sing-it-out-loud

A/N: This took me a week to write this chapter so I hope you enjoy. Please send reviews! Thank you and happy summer!

Zylla was riding home from visiting her friend Leena in a neighboring village that was two days away. As she rode, she reflected on her life since her brother and friend left.

Everyone misses them dearly but normal life continued on. Adina has grown a lot and is a faithful guard dog and companion to Zylla. She is still uncomfortable around most people except for Leena and her family. When she turned ten, Zylla stared training in the art of the sword, daggers and bow and arrow. Now at thirteen, she is better than any boy her age. Even though she is a great fighter, Zylla does not enjoy it.

As Zylla rode into her village she received very few greetings. Usually the townspeople would ask how the neighboring tribe is doing but not today. Almost everybody was busy testing weapons and doing other tasks that were done to prepare for battle. But why would they do that when there was no battle? This confused Zylla. She dismounted off her horse and raced off to find her parents. She found them at home dressed for battle and in a comforting hug.

"Mother, Father, what ails you so? Why does it seem that everyone is preparing for battle?"

Her parents broke from there embrace. They motioned for their daughter to sit down.

"Romans are on they way. They are ready for battle," Zylla's father informed her.

This confused Zylla further.

"But why would they? They took Ayden and Tristan to serve them seven years ago!

This time her mother answered. "They see us as a threat because we openly appose them and are known for being a tribe of great fighters. Some of our people attacked a small cavalry of Roman soldiers at the dead of night last night. They are out for blood now."

Zylla was so shocked by the news that she couldn't even respond. Her parents took use of her silence to give her more unbearable news.

"We know that you are a great fighter," started her mother. "But we do not want you to fight," her father finished.

"Why!" Zylla cried out. She does not like fighting but her entire tribe would be so she was not about to leave them.

Adina, who was napping at the time, raised her head to look at her mistress.

"We need you to ride to the other village and tell them of what happened. You also must be alive to greet your brother and Tristan when they return. The tribe is unanimous with this decision," her mother choked out. She was on the verge of tears. She did not want to leave her daughter on her own. But she knew it was the right choice.

Zylla was crying silently but nodded to show that she understands. She know that it is just as hard for them as her.

Both of her parents hug her. When they released their daughter, her mother gave her a satchel filled with provisions and clothes. Zylla's father gave her a set of twin swords and daggers that he had crafted for her. It was a bittersweet, unofficial goodbye. There was a sudden knock on the door. The family stiffened thinking that it was Romans.

Then someone yelled, "The Romans are nearly here!"

Zylla and her parents panicked at the news. Even Adina was and growling it the warning. The family and canine rushed out of the hut. As they looked they looked to the east they saw they could see a blur of red. It was the Romans. Her father ran to retrieve his daughters' horse. Zylla and her mother hugged for what could be the last time than ran off to prolong the arrival of the Romans. A couple minutes later her father appeared with her horse, Eifela. Her father urged her to get on. Once upon her horse she gave her father a melancholy look. He lifted his hand to her cheek to console her.

"Ride straight on and tell Tyto of what had happened. Be brave my child."

"Yes father," Zylla managed to choke out through her tears.

"Never forget what our tribe as taught you. Remember where you came from," were her fathers last words to her.

Zylla never got to respond because her father slapped the horse into a canter up towards the woods. Adina ran beside them. The horse didn't stop until its rider was safely inside the forest perimeter but close enough for Zylla to see her village. She dismounted from Eifela and pressed herself against the thick trunk of an old fir tree. She watched her tribe draw their weapons as Romans came flooding in.

Then the fighting began.

Red cloaks and fancy armor mixed in with war paint and bare skin. Blood of both Samaritans and Romans coated the grass. Zylla's brown doe eyes followed her parents closely. She winced whenever the enemy managed to nick one of them. Zylla was watching her father when her mother's screams pierced the air. Both Zylla and her father frantically searched the crowd for her mother. When she was found; both were horrified for her mother had been decapitated. Her head lay only a few feet away from her body. Zylla collapsed to the forests' dirt floor in distress. Her father saw the horrific site of his wife and became enraged. He attacked any Roman near him. He was doing well until he was struck from behind. He fell to the ground but managed to what strength he had left to crawl over to his dead wife before taking his last breath.

Zylla lay in a heap on the ground sobbing over her parents' death and the defeat of her tribe. For what seamed like hours she sat there crying her eyes out. After a while her tears subsided and her breathing became normal. That's when she noticed the musty smell of smoke. Adina must had smelt it too because she started barking. Zylla got up, dusted her self off and looked at her village. She gasped at what she saw. The village had been set ablaze by the Romans. Almost everything had been engulfed in the flames. She had to leave the forest… now. In a rush, Zylla gathered her belongings and fled the forest and what little was left of her home.

**KAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKA [Page break] KAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKA**

It took Zylla two strenuous days of traveling to reach her destination. During that time she had to endure sleeping on the uncomfortable muddy ground all while being sopping wet from the dense rain that started about an hour she fled her home. So on top of grieving for her lost family and home, she was wet and sore. She was also feeling a bit light-headed and her vision was fuzzy. Yet she continued on.

As she rode into her friends' village many people gave her looks of disgust or sympathy. Sympathy came from those that she knew. The only person who looked genuinely worried was a girl of about sixteen with brownish-blonde hair in a neat plait that came running to help Zylla off her horse. It was her best friend Leena.

"Zylla! Are you alright? What happened to you?" Leena asked frantically.

Zylla started to say that she was fine but was cut off by Leena.

"Don't you dare say that your fine! I know you better than that and this is a serious matter!" she scolded.

By this time the entire village had stopped whatever they were doing and gathered around the two girls. Many knew Zylla and were curious to why she was here when she left only a few days ago.

The crowd parted as Leena led Zylla to her family's hut in the center of the village. Word of Zylla's arrival and her appearance must have traveled because Leena's parents, Moria and Tyto, were waiting for them.

Once inside Leena led Zylla to her pallet and told her to sit as she and her mother tended to the petrified thirteen year old girl.

"What happened?" Tyto asked.

Zylla was about to respond when there was a sudden thump on the door. It was Adina. Leena got up and let her in. Adina made a beeline for Zylla and started licking her as a way of comforting her. Zylla smiled lightly at the gesture. Tyto cleared his throat to get the young girls attention. She looked up and remembered once again all of the current events. A frown graced her face once again.

"Romans attacked my tribe. They killed everyone then burned the village down," Zylla told them solemnly all while giving the no details.

Both Moria and Leena's eyes widened at the explanation and hugged her.

Tyto- ever being the non emotional one- said "Rest here and regain your strength. A few men and I will ride to neighboring villages to spread the news."

He strides for the exit with purpose but then stopped and hesitated at the door.

"I offer you my condolences Zylla. You have a place here with us now."

Zylla nodded sleepily. All of the recent events and the traveling are starting to catch up wit her now that she is sitting down. As soon as Tyto left Zylla collapsed and went into a deep slumber.


	3. A Hero's Return

The One Left behind: A Hero's Return

A/N: This chapter and the rest of the story take place after the movie. Also in my version, Tristan, Dagonet, and Lancelot end up living. Hope you enjoy it!

The sun had just risen when a newborns cry rang out into the early morning. The few people that were up, smiled. A new baby always brought hope and showed people that there was still some innocence left in the world. Leena smiled at the sight of the happy family as she lingered in the doorway.

She left and strolled through the village in silence. Being the village mid-wife meant that she was up at all hours and rarely had any time for herself. When she did, the 24 year old went and sat by the creek where she had memories of her and her older brother, Lancelot, playing as a child that resided in the original part of the newly expanded village.

Just thinking of her brother, who has been gone for a little over 15 years fighting for Rome, made Leena melancholy. It was moment like this that made the young women wish things had never changed. She wished that her tribe hadn't combined with all other Samaritan tribes to create one big town. She also wished that her best friend Zylla still had her family and home and wasn't so sad and withdrawn. Most of all she wished for her brother to come home. Not just for herself but for her aging father who may not be living much longer and for her mother who still shed tears over her lost son.

Almost immediately after she made her wish, she spotted an outline of carts and people on horses that were just barley noticeable. She was about to run and tell everyone that Romans had arrived but saw that none of the riders wore Roman armor. A bubble of excitement rose through Leena. Could it be her brother and the Sarmatian Knights?

Leena could not contain herself. She ran up to meet the mysterious riders. By the time she reached them, she was out of breath and had startled the riders. Five of them looked at her with surprise and curiosity. The only one did not was the rider with dark curly hair that looked at her with shock. Leena raised her light green eyes to meet his.

"Lancelot!" Leena exclaimed.

"Leena?" Lancelot asked as he dismounted.

The two siblings hugged.

"Who's the girl?" whispered the red haired knight quietly to the short balding knight.

"I 'dunno but he must know her," he whispered back.

Lancelot glanced at his brothers-in-arms with a wicked smile on his face.

"This," he said as he wrapped his arms around his sisters shoulders, "Is my little sister."

The knights look at both sibling in surprise and look for the similarities while Leena glared at her brother for calling her little.

Lancelot grinned at his sister in a mocking way. Leena couldn't help herself so she smiled back at him. The blonde curly haired knight broke up their moment by asking for her name.

"My name is Leena. What are yours?"

He explained that is name was Galahad and then proceeded to tells her the others. The short balding man was Bors and he along with his new wife, Vanora, had 12 children. His best friend was Dagonet who was the taller bald man. Galahad said that his best friend was red head named Gawain. Last but not least was Tristan with a quiet demeanor and tribal tattoos on his face. Those tattoos seemed vaguely familiar. Then it came to her.

"Zylla!" she gasped.

All knights gave her strange looks. Tristan furrowed his brows at her as his he recognized what she said but didn't know her connection.

"I am sorry but I must be going. My parents hut is just down the hill. Lancelot can take lead you there and out parents will proceed to help you find your families," Leena instructed hurriedly.

"Help with what Daughter?" a mans deep voice asked.

Leena turned around to meet her father questioning gaze.

"Father, Lancelot- the knights- have returned and need help finding their families."

Tyto scanned the faces of the remaining knight looking for his lost son. When he found him, he pulled him into a hug.

"Come knights. I will show you to your families. Leena go find-"

"I know father. I am going to find her now," Leena said then ran off.

They all watched her retreating figure but Gawain watched her with longing. Lancelot saw this and shoved the youngster hard enough to make him loose his balance and fall off his horse. Everyone laughed as Gawain picked himself up off the ground. The group then started making there towards the newly populated town where each of their family's awaited.

What they didn't know was that a young woman watched the entire exchange with her doe brown eyes.


End file.
